Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-02-24
TILDEN's WISHES RESPECTED.
The Free Library To BE Established
Regardless or Any Litigation.

The Free Library To BE Established
Regardless or Any Litigation.
Il is now authoritatively announced.
in behalf of the heirs of Samuel j.
Tiiden who have begun the suit in
equity for the purpose Of invaldating
the clause in Mr.. Tilden's will creating
the free library trust ESQ called) that
even if the courts should decide that
the attempt to create the trust was
void and of no effect whatever, they
will fully and faithfully carry out Mr..
Tilden's intentions and give to this
city the largest and best free library in
the world.
A gentleman who holds the most
confidential relations to Mrs. Pelton
and the children of Henry Tilden.
Samuel j. Tilden's brother, said yester-
day: IF people think that Mrs.
Pelton and the other heirs have the
slightest desire to prevent the establish
ment of a free public library as intend
ed by Mr.. Tlden then they totally mis-
conceive their purposes. They simply
wish to get for themselves fair share
of Mr.. Tilden's property such as he
had always led them to believe they
should have. MRS. Pelton now has
the income of 800, 600, and each of the
children of Henry Tilden now has the
income of S75. 900, small amount and
h,,, IN n
surroundings which they enjoyed du-
ring Samuel j. Tilden's life. The an
nual income of $4,000 is only 50, $50;
they had been brought up by MIR. Til
den to spend much more. BY the re.
quest of Samuel j. Tilden his nephews
assumed an Indebtedness created by
the business of the chemical works at
New Lebanon, which he promised to
take off their hands and pay himself,
He never did; very likely on account of
his invincible propensity to delay. 1t
now amounts to about S3O00,00 and
the Tilden boys are staggering under
the load. These things are not right,
and the heirs feel that rectitication
should be made.
"The property available for the free
library, under the trust, is about $15,-
000, 900. There is no need of such an
amount John Jacob Aston gave $780,
900 to establish the Aston library. Let
81. 900, 900 apiece be given to Mrs. Pelton
and the Tilden children, and there
would still be 80 900. 900 left for the Ii
brary. No library in the world has
anything like such an endowment
What are the prospects OF COM
promisep" was asked.
81 cannot tell you to-day. But l will
say this: Since the trustees have learn
ed that the heirs do not desire to defeat
Mr.. Tiden's wish to establish a great,
free public library they are much more
inclined to do the fair thing than ever
before. Messrs. Carter and Ledyard,
their lawyers. have until February to
put in their answer to the complaint.
After that the testimony must be taken
or a case be made up on paper by
agreement, so that some time must
elapse before things will be ready for
argument at the shortest. Before then
you may expect to hear that an equita-
BILE arrangement has been made with
the heirs. If none should be made and
the courts should declare the trust to be
invalid. of course all the property will
be divided pro rata among the six heirs.
In that event they will relinquish mil
lions. enough to freely carry out Sam
uel j. Tilden's grand and benevolent
intentions in regard to the library. -